Manufacture of hats



June 9, 1925.

J. A. ALEA MANUFACTURE OF HATS Fild March 31 1923 nmanqmnin n-- IN VEN TOR. 1% fi/gfl ,wx 14 W A TTORNEYS.

Patented June 9, 1925.

UNITED STATES JOSE ALVAREZ ALEA, or HABAI A, CUIBA.

MANUFACTURED]? HATS.

Application filed March '31, 1923. Serial No. 629,023.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, J osi ALVAREZ ALBA, citizen of the Republic of Cuba,residing at I-Iabana, Gallo Requena, Cuba, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Manufacture of Hats; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same. r

This invention refers to the manufacture of hats, especially of straw hats and its principalv object is to provide a process which improves the manufacture of hats producing an article having a much better appearance and showing lines of irreproachable elegance and originality.

My invention refers consequently to a process which permits the manufacture of straw hats providing themwith a border or edge around the exterior edge of the'brim, which border is also made of the same material as the hat, this attachment increasing the value of same.

Further advantages and other considerations pertinent to the invention will bedemonstrated during the course of these specifications with thehelp of the figure in the attached drawing in which the same reference figures designate the same parts.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a hat before being submitted to the action of 1roning either by hand irons or by any otner ironing device which may be employed.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same hat after having been ironed by the apparatuses used for the purpose.

Figure 3 represents the ironed hat such as it is treated in accordance with the process object of this invention in a device suitable to bringing about the proposed modification.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the hat after being finished.

Figure 5 is a horizontal upper View of a detail of one of the strips of material which form the edge of the hat brim.

Consider a hat I as is represented in Fig. 1, that is to say, already sewn and trimmed but not yet submitted to the action of the hydraulic irons or any other of the means employed for ironing in the hat industry, and which hat presents at the outer edge of its brim 2 a flange formed by two continuous strips 3 and 4 which at intervals are provided with curled portions 3 and 4 which two strips are superposed one to the other, with the curled portions outwardly and are sewn together and are at the same time sewn to the body of the brim 2 of the hat I in the manner customary in the trade. It is evident that this hat on being submittedto the action of the ironing device referred to will appearas is illustrated in Fig. 2, with 'itsbrim 2 perfectly flat and the flanges constituted by strips 3 and f likewise flattened in thesame plane with the rest of the brim.

It was impossible up to the present to secure in practice that this flange should recover its previous shape by which the hat was deprived of a detail which greatly enhanced its lines increasing thereby its aesthetic value and giving it an exceedingly elegant and original aspect and making it exceedingly difficult if not impossible to prevent said flange from being flattened out on ironing the hat.

I have been able to observe that on wetting the straw after the hat had been ironed, the flange gradually recovered its primitive form when the straw,which is an exceedinglyhygroscopic substance, expanded, andlit remained so indefinitely.

In'successive trials I reached the conclusion that water, heated to boiling point, was the most efficient medium of securing the result desired in a few moments, it being possible for one operator to reform in this way a large number of hats.

Consequently, the object of my invention consists in this process, already completely defined, and which I consider of importance in the hat industry.

Therefore, having once prepared the hat in the form illustrated in Fig. 2, that is to say, perfectly ironed, it is treated in a device such as is illustrated in Fig. 4, consisting simply of a platform or table 5, on which there are two supports 6, to sustain a shallow and wide plate or receptacle 7, and across the table there is mounted a burner of gas, etc, 8, connected by its corresponding junction tube 9 provided by its valve cook 10, with a deposit for the supply of fuel which is not shown.

A quantity of water, slightly acidulated, preferably with oxalic acid, is poured into the plate of dish until it reaches a level enactly the same as the width of the flange of the hat formed by strips 3 and 4.

After this is done, and the water has reached boiling point. or is very hot, the at --'-is put in, sustaining it in position as inns-- 7 a manner that its flange, constituted by strips 3 and 4, is totally submerged under the water. Then the hat is given a rotary movement in the direction indicated by the arrow point in said figure so as to completely wet all the flange of the brim. On being given this treatment, the wet straw of the flange swells up and in a few moments the flange recovers its shape previous to the ironing of same, and the 'hat is completely reformed as is represented in Figure It is evident that within the scope of the idea previously set forth,"there can be made various changes, because the manner of wetting the portion of the brim that forms the flange can be varied a great deal; and steam or any other liquid or vapor can be used suitable to produce the wetting of the flange, so: I have only shown herein asimple manner of securing the object in view.

Also, the structure or shape of the flange or the braiding of the strips which comprise same can be varied, and the design and grade or quality of the straw or hat material can likewise be varied, and lastly I reserve for myself the right to make all those changes or modifications which do not go outside of the substantial idea of the invention which are claimed as per following claims:

1. A process for the manufacture of hats of straw having a flange at the edge of the brim prior to ironing, comprising, ironing the hat whereby the flange is flattened out by the action of ironing, and then dampening the flange until it recovers'the shape it had prior to the ironing, said dampening being. 'eif'ected by hot aci'dulated water.

2. A process for the manufacture of hats of straw, having, prior to ironing, a flange at the'edge of the brim and projecting above and below the brim, comprising,ironing the hat, including the brim and flange, in the usual manner, and dampening the flange with hot water until the flange recovers its shape due to the expansion of the material on being dampened.

3. A process for the manufacture of hats of straw" or other similar material, which comprises, taking, prior to ironing, a hat provided with a flange on the edge of its brim, which flange projects above and below the brim and is constituted by two strips made of the same material as the hat and which presents at intervals spaced portions of braiding and are superposed and sewn one to the other around the edge of the hat brim, ironing the hat, including the fl'ange, in the usual manner, dampening the flange that has been flattened by the ironing in slightly acidulated and heated water having a depth equal to the width of the flattened flange, all of the flange being successively submerged in the water until the flange recovers the shape whichit had previous to being ironed.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my i name'to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSE ALVAREZ ALEA. lVitnesses PABLo J. OLivA, CALEL CREVEL. 

